Awards & Recognition

GIS Day 2018

Outstanding Geography Student Award

Each year, the TAMU Department of Geography awards our top undergraduate Geography student the Outstanding Geography Student Award. This prize recognizes outstanding academic success as well as the student’s pursuit of excellence through their efforts outside of the classroom in high-impact learning experiences and student leadership. This award is given up to three times per year, for each spring, summer, and fall graduation, and is open to current undergraduate Geography majors graduating in that term.

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Outstanding GIST Student Award

Each year, the TAMU Department of Geography awards our top undergraduate GIST student the Outstanding GIST Student Award. This prize recognizes outstanding academic success as well as the student’s pursuit of excellence through their efforts outside of the classroom in high-impact learning experiences and student leadership. This award is given up to three times per year, for each spring, summer, and fall graduation, and is open to current undergraduate GIST majors graduating in that term.

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Klein Family Award

In 2016, Dr. and Mrs. Klein honored the outstanding contributions made by their son, Dr. Andrew Klein, to the TAMU Department of Geography by founding the Klein Family Award. The Klein Family Award is bestowed annually to the top continuing student in the TAMU Department of Geography. This award is open to current undergraduate Geography and GIST majors who will not be graduating at the end of the current term. The winner of the Klein Family award will receive a scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

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Graduate Student Research & Teaching Awards

The TAMU Department of Geography Graduate Committee offers annual opportunities to recognize graduate student achievement. Each year there is one award for Excellence in Teaching and another for Excellence in Research. Both awards recognize graduate students who are making satisfactory progress toward their degree. The Geography Excellence in Research award is presented to a student who has demonstrated outstanding presentations at national meetings, important publications, significant research results, and/or outstanding performance in lab or field experiments. The Geography Excellence in Teaching award is presented to a student who has demonstrated outstanding course evaluations as a TA and/or instructor, outstanding written comments from students, outstanding evaluations of TA work by the course instructor, outstanding design of course or lab syllabi, and/or outstanding design of lab or section activities. These awards are open to all TAMU Department of Geography graduate students who have been in the program for more than two semesters.

Applications are due annually on May 1st.

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Jimmy D. Cain ‘66 & ‘71 Awards

Jimmy Darell “Jim” Cain graduated from Texas A&M University in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Meteorology, and in 1971 with a Masters of Science in Oceanography, where he was also an enthusiastic member of the Singing Cadets. Jim was a world-renowned geodesist and worked on the original EPSG Geodetics Sub-Committee, that became the EPSG authority, with the original members and continued to work on the committee until his death. That committee was/is part of the IOGP, the standards authority for international oil and gas standards, including geomatics and geodesy. Jim was a founding member of the Association for Petroleum Surveying & Geomatics (APSG) Professional Organization. During his service to the organization he served in many roles including, at the time of his passing, as the Head of the Strategic and Advisory Committee.

In Spring of 2019, the TAMU Department of Geography partnered with the APSG Education Foundation to honor the memory and legacy of Texas A&M University Alumni Jimmy D. “Jim” Cain ‘66 and ‘71 by strengthening the notions of geodetics and data integrity within geospatial education and professional development for the next generation of industry leaders. This partnership integrates the leadership of the the APSG Education Foundation, the expertise and experience of Association of Petroleum Surveying & Geomatics (APSG) members and organizations, and the College of Geosciences in the classroom, field and workplace through instruction, mentoring and professionalization to ultimately provide more and better prepared career placements within the energy industry. Our collaboration with the APSG Education Foundation in memory of Jimmy D. Cain positions the College of Geosciences at Texas A&M University as the leader in preparing industry-ready geospatial graduates, and recognizes the APSG Education Foundation as the preeminent non-profit champions of broadening and deepening knowledge of geodetics in the geospatial profession.

Jimmy D. Cain Travel Awards

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Jimmy D. Cain Excellence Awards

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Esri Development Center Student of the Year

In 2013, Texas A&M University (TAMU) was designated as an Esri Development Center (EDC). Only a handful of academic institutions worldwide have this distinction. Each year, TAMU awards the Esri Development Center Student of the Year to the graduate or undergraduate student who has had the most impact through their development or application of geospatial science, application, or technology. This award is open to all current TAMU students, graduate and undergraduate, from any major at the University.

Applications are due annually on March 1st.

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